Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences2423-3722Shiraz University of Medical Sciences42145Natural remedies in the Canon of Medicine for dentistry and oral biologyPouyaFaridiMiladMoatamediMohammadZarshenasZohrehAbolhassanzadehAbdolaliMohagheghzadehDepartment of phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.Department of Prosthodontics, Shiraz Dental School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranDepartment of phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Essence of Parsiyan Wisdom Institute, Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plant Incubator, Shiraz University of Medical
Sciences, Shiraz, IranDepartment of phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Essence of Parsiyan Wisdom Institute, Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plant Incubator, Shiraz University of Medical
Sciences, Shiraz, IranDepartment of phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.0320151149Full Text

Ibn Sina is one of the most well know scholars in middle ages. This Persian physician wrote different books in medical filed which his great encyclopedia remained as one the most successful medical encyclopedia during the history. Ibn Sina discussed diseases of oral cavity and dentistry in the 3rd book of The Canon of medicine. He discussed different conditions such as different types of trauma to the motor nerves, taste sensation, different limitations of tongue movements, Ranula, halitosis, tooth sensation, different types of tooth pain, Bruxism, attrition, loss of enamel, gingival bleeding, recession and hyperplasia. For management of these diseases he introduced more than 80 herbal remedies. Most of this plant species are from essential oil reach families. Generally, Ibn Sina has a deep view in case of dental diseases and his ideas and methods for treatment of this category of disease could be studied for finding new treatment in dental ailments.

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first entry enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway that converts phenylalanine to cinnamic acid which is the precursor of various secondary metabolites. PAL is recently formulated for Phenylketonuric patients in pegylated forms. Screening a PAL with the highest affinity to the substrate is of great importance for this purpose. PAL exists in all higher plants and some fungi and few bacteria. Ancestors of land plants have been adopted by evolving metabolic pathways. A multi-gene family encodes PAL by gene duplication events in most plants. In this study, the taxonomic distribution and phylogeny of pal gene found in land plants, fungi and bacteria have been analyzed. It seems that the ancestor of plants acquired a pal gene via horizontal gene transfer in symbioses with bacteria and fungi. Gymnosperms have kept a diverse set of pal genes that arose from gene duplication events. In angiosperms, after the divergence of dicotyledons from monocots, pal genes were duplicated many times. The close paralogues of pal genes in some species indicate expansion of gene families after the divergence in plant pal gene evolution. Interestingly, some of the plant pals clustered by species a way that pals within one species are more closely related to each other than to homologs in the other species which indicates this duplication event occurred more recently.

Radiopharmaceuticals are a special group of drugs since many of them are eventually prepared in the hospital and the nuclear medicine department is therfore responsible for meeting quality criteria such as sterility, radionuclide, radiochemical and chemical purity. In this study radiochemical purity for more than 300 preparations of three different radiopharmaceutical formulations from commercial kits were tested using instant thin layer chromatography. The formulations namely 99mTc-DTPA, 99mTc-MDP and 99mTc-MIBI were obtained from Pars Isotope Co. Several paper chromatographic systems were used in this study. The result showed that the most observed impurities were hydrolyzed reduced 99m technetium. After the preliminary study we decided to change our imaging schedule in the nuclear medicine department and the sequence of imaging was changed.Cosequently, the results showed better radiochemical purities. Our equipments for detetion of radioactivity in paper chromatography were changed, for example the old dose calibrator was replaced by a gamma camera or a more accurate dose calibrator. Also, the thin layer chromatography systems were changed to those recommended by the factory and the new results showed much better radiochemical purities.

Some N-substituted piperidine structures were synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxic activity against four different cell lines using the standard MTT assay method and Doxorubicin was used as the reference drug. The result of cytotoxic activity as a measurement of IC50 values revealed that three of the synthesized compounds were active against breast cancer cell line. Compound 6a bearing hydroxyl at para position of piperidine ring was the most active compound within this series. The N-subtituted piperidine with propene substructure could be considered as a lead structure for further studies of structure activity relationship to develop more potent compounds in future.

Ondansetron hydrochloride, a selective 5-HT3 receptor blocker, is an effective antiemetic drug with oral bioavailability of %60 and half-life of 4-5 h. The present study was carried out to prepare fast dissolving films of ondansetron hydrochloride to increase patient compliance and improve efficacy of drug. Films were prepared by solvent casting method, using poly vinyl alcohol, poly vinyl pyrrolidone and konjacglucomannan as film formers and PEG400 as plasticizer. Natural and synthetic sweeteners were used for masking bitterness of drug. Satisfactory results were obtained from evaluation of physical characteristics of fast dissolving films of ondansetron hydrochloride including: thickness: 37-39mm, surface pH: 6.77, folding endurance: up to 300 time and tensile strength: 35.75-50.93g/cm². Films were also subjected to an in vitro dissolution and release studies. In vitro drug release studies indicated 93-95% release in 5 min. Fast dissolving films of ondansetron could be a potential alternative for the currently marketed oral formulation, parenteral form and suppository with better patient compliance and higher bioavailability for the rapid control of emesis.

Abstract: Dionysia revoluta L. a plant of Primulaceae family is used for treatment of ulcers and relieving pain in Iranian traditional system of medicine. The present study was aimed at preliminary phytochemical investigation and evaluation of antioxidant characteristics of D.revoluta L.ethanol extract and various fractions. Total phenolic content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu method. Evaluation of total flavonoid was carried out by the use of an aluminium chloride/sodium carbonate colorimetric procedure. Anti lipid peroxidation effect was studied with ethanol extract. Radical scavenging properties of ethanolic extract and various fractions was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Nitric Oxide (NO) methods. High phenolic and flavonoid content and significant radical scavenging properties were detected for the ethyl acetate and mainly n-butanol fraction. Comparisons were made with known reference antioxidant compounds including ascorbic acid, quercetin, and gallic acid. The radical scavenging effect of n-butanol fraction approached higher degree of effectiveness among all fractions. Acid hydrolysis of this fraction led to a significant enhancement in the phenolic and flavonoid contents and interestingly in DPPH scavenging efficacy of this fraction. As declared by the results, total phenolic content showed a good correlation with radical scavenging activity. The antioxidant activity found in the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of D. revoluta L. may be attributed to the presence of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. Among the various chemical constituents of this plant, the concentration of flavonoids seem to prevail remarkably as indicated by the inspection of thin layer chromatograms of various fractions and their responses to diagnostic colour reactions. Based on the results obtained in the present study, this plant bears a good radical scavenging and antioxidative character and is worth of further detailed phytochemical and antioxidative studies.Keywords: Dionysia revoluta L., Free radical scavenging Effect

Aims: Ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical information have been known as an effective tool for drug discovery. Iran is a location with long medical history. Darab is one of the cities in Iran that can be studied regarding ethnopharmacological aspects. Methods: current paper documented the folk medical information by Darab inhabitants. Therefore, field studies on this area were conducted from March to July 2012 and May to July 2013 under supervision of one local people. A questionnaire was utilized in this study and was filled by local inhabitants. Results: in total, 58 species belonging to 27 plant families were documented in management of 53 ailments. The most cited plant family was Asteraceae which was followed by Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Papilionaceae. Herbs were applied for gynecologic and genitourinary, respiratory, central nervous system, infectious and cardiovascular ailments as well as musculoskeletal and skin disorders, respectively. Conclusion: this study can indicate the folk knowledge of a region in south of Iran, the knowledge that can easily disappeared during transition from old to new generations. Moreover, the effectiveness of unexamined plants can be evaluated according to informants’ claims. Therefore, such investigations may be in deed, a useful way to search for drug discovery as well as keeping ethnopharmacological information alive.

Statins are inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase and inhibit cellular synthesis of cholesterol and isoprenoids. Studies have previously demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective effects of statins on cultured brain cells (astrocytes and microglia) and endothelial cells. Statins have been recently recognized as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective drugs. Later, neuroprotective effects of statin were reported in various animal disease models and clinical studies. Atorvastatin also prolonged latency (time to appearance of spike potentials) and diminished the amplitude and frequency of spike potentials, which indicate epileptic discharges. In some studies observed that pre-treatment with atorvastatin efficiently reduced seizure activities, hippocampal neuron death, monocyte infiltration and proinflammatory gene expression. In this study the protective effects of atorvastatin on seizures induced by Pentylenetetrazolee (PTZ) and maximal electroshock stimulation (MES) were investigated. Intraperitoneal pentylenetetrazole was used to induce seizures in mice.It was found that atorvastatin (ED50 = 5.12±0.98) has antiseizure effects comparing to control group. Atorvastatin treatment significantly increased the seizure threshold (p<0.01) and decreased the incidence of tonic seizure and death which is induced by intraperitoneal pentylenetetrazole . The effect of atorvastatin on seizure induced by MES in mice was evaluated and the results demonstrated it is not able to produce anticonvulsant activity.Key word: Seizure, Atorvastatin, Pentylenetetrazole, Maximal electroshock.